


Gone Fishing

by mizface



Category: Invisible Man (TV 2000), The Sentinel
Genre: Crossover, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-23
Updated: 2011-07-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 16:19:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizface/pseuds/mizface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So much for a quiet vacation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone Fishing

**Author's Note:**

> TIMELINE: 2001 (still first season for Invisible Man)  
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you to those who bid on this for Moonridge 2009! And a HUGE thank you to the folks at the ficfinishing community on LJ for the cheerleading, and to mostcrazylady for the beta (and help with the title!).

A vacation. At last. It had been a rough couple of months, with Cascade seemingly inundated with the worst humanity had to offer. But finally, the storm had passed, and things were back to what passed for normal. Taking the expression “get while the getting’s good” to heart, Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg had requested and received a much needed week off.

A fishing trip was decided upon, with both men agreeing that it would be to a new spot. The last time they’d gone off, Simon had just so happened to show up at one of Jim’s favorite fishing holes. Not this time. The two men wanted some time alone. Blair even went a step further and insisted that they leave Washington all together, hoping to thwart their invariable bad luck on trips close to home.

Blair did a little web research. Booking flights and the fishing license work was done on-line, and soon the two men found themselves in Smith River, California. It had all the things they were looking for - great fishing, camping facilities, and it was even close to a small airport. The conservation work being done there appealed to Blair, but it had been the picture of the 55-pound steelhead that had sold Jim on the place.

While the fishing would be fun, it wasn’t the goal of the trip – getting reconnected was, both as Sentinel and Guide, and more importantly, as Jim and Blair. They’d been together, but not, far too much lately. The extent of their relationship in either form was still unknown to most of their colleagues, and the strain of keeping those secrets, along with their brutal schedules, had taken its toll. Both men were looking forward to time to be themselves, without any prying eyes or emergencies. Taking care of each other was the goal. Well, that and getting some fish caught. Wouldn’t do to starve while they were there.

The first few days found them doing very little. Once they’d arrived at the park and set up their camp, both were content to just sit back and enjoy the surroundings. Being able to really relax control of his senses was something Jim had all too rarely, and he reveled in the lack of civilization. There were still a myriad of ways to zone, but it was nothing compared to the city. Blair hypothesized that since the bulk of his actual time “training” to be a Sentinel had been in the jungles of Peru, it was only natural that similar surroundings would be easier to handle. Jim didn’t care about why he had less trouble; he just took the gift that it was gratefully.

Soon enough, Blair’s natural exuberance and their dwindling supply of food gave the men incentive to start the fishing portion of their trip in earnest. Everything they’d read about the River had been right on – along with steelhead, there were trout and salmon to be had. By the end of their first real day of fishing, the pair had caught enough for several hearty meals.

Satisfied with their catches, the two started back toward their camp, making the occasional remark, but mostly just enjoying each other’s company. Suddenly, Jim stopped, and one look told Blair that the Sentinel’s senses had been triggered. He leaned against Jim to ground him, and waited for information.

Jim stood still for a few moments, then lowered the fishing equipment to the ground, careful not to tangle the line. “There’s someone in our camp.”

“Are you sure it isn’t some _thing_ , Jim? We’re pretty far out – could it be animals?”

A small shake of the head shot down Blair’s hopes. “Only if they speak English and wear aftershave, Chief.”

Great. Why did he even ask – this was _them_ , after all. Blair sighed heavily. “How many?”

“Two. They’re looking for something, but they haven’t said what.”

“Man, this is just our luck. We leave not only Cascade, but the entire state of Washington hoping for some peace and quiet and what happens – someone finds us anyhow!” He glared up at his partner, who shrugged. The gesture calmed the younger man, and a wry grin crossed his lips as he spoke. “I know, I know, it’s just par for the course for us. But a guy can hope, can’t he?”

Jim patted Blair’s cheek fondly. “Never stop hoping, Sandburg. Optimism looks good on you.”

The grin widened and Blair waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Flattery will get you everywhere, but not until we get this taken care of. What’s the plan?”

“Plan, Chief?” He rubbed his chin as if pondering the question. “Let’s see, we know they’re there, but they don’t know that. Seems like we should turn the tables, get the drop on them. Pretty simple.” He bent down and opened the tackle box, lifting the top layer to retrieve the gun he was now glad he’d insisted on bringing. Blair’s eyes widened a bit and he asked, “They’re armed?”

“One of them is. The other, I’m not so sure about.”

“What do you mean, you’re not sure? If you can tell one is, what’s the problem with the other one?”

“I’m not sure. There’s something… I don’t know how to put it. Hard to pin down, maybe. There’s some kind of metallic scent that’s skewing his location, somehow… nothing I recognize, but it’s definitely on him.”

“Not what I was hoping to hear. Okay, at least one guy armed, so possibly we’re outgunned. But we have surprise on our side, which is good.” He clapped his hands together, pretending enthusiasm. “Let’s get this show on the road. I have some fish to fry.”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“So, you think our guys are the ones camped here? See anything the Fat Man might want?”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “It’s not like there are any pictures here, Fawkes. And no, I haven’t found anything, but I’ll know it when I see it.” He gestured toward the nearby tent. “Why don’t you go in there and make yourself useful.”

“Not like we had anything more than a crappy description to go by anyhow,” Darien mumbled as he knelt to go into the tent. Not much to see - two sleeping bags zipped together, and some supplies Darien didn’t think were normally used on camping trips. Looked liked they were in danger of interrupting someone’s romantic weekend.

Darien left the tent and was about to say something when Bobby put a hand on his shoulder. He stopped and tilted his head just enough to see his partner. “What is it, Hobbes?” he whispered.

“I heard something,” he responded, voice low. “Twig breaking, shuffling of leaves. Something.” He was tense, straining to see or hear something more.

Darien waited a moment before responding. “We are in the woods, Hobbes. Could’ve been an animal.”

“That’s not what my instincts are telling me, buddy. Someone’s coming. We gotta get out of here, lay low and see who shows up.”

“So we just get up and go. Easy as –” he stopped in mid-sentence as he too heard a noise. “That was close.”

“Too close,” his partner agreed. “And in the direction we need to go to get back to the car. Damn!” he swore softly, then turned hopeful eyes to the lanky young man. “You think you can get us out of here, Fawkes?”

Darien gave a brief glance to the red and green tattoo on his wrist, then shrugged. If Bobby was asking, he didn’t have much choice.

“Sure, Hobbes. Keep filled me up before we left,” he lied. “I’m good to go.” He laid a hand on his partner’s arm and concentrated, letting the quicksilver flow over them both.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“I don’t see anything, Jim.” They’d crept toward the camp as quietly as possible, but when they got there it was empty. Except, Jim was sure it wasn’t.

“They’re here, Sandburg. I can hear them – I just can’t see them.” He was turning as he spoke, trying to zero in on the heartbeats he knew were close. Something was distorting them, making them hard to pinpoint. And he’d seen a flash of… something a minute earlier. Something that glinted metallic in the sunlight, something that shouldn’t have been there.

Blair approached him cautiously, the Sentinel’s frustration apparent with every move. “Focus, Jim,” he said softly. “If you can’t see or hear them clearly, try your other senses.”

Jim nodded, stood perfectly still, closed his eyes, and reached out with those senses that had not yet been baffled by the strange distortion. There was the metallic tang he’d noticed earlier, too strong to narrow in on, so he dialed his sense of smell back down. A small shiver ran down his spine, increasing as he dialed up his sense of touch. It was cold – too cold. He focused in on that, and felt a chill radiating off to one side. He turned slowly toward it, cocking his head as he piggybacked his hearing onto touch, hoping that the combination would give him better luck.

Even with the two senses working together, the sounds were hard to pinpoint. Jim decided to open his eyes, hoping that would do the trick. It was risky – having so many senses dialed up at once left him vulnerable, but he knew Blair would keep him safe. Besides, someone was there, and the inability to find them was making him crazy.

A shimmer at the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned toward it. It was strange – the air was wavering. Once he was looking for it, the effect was easy to see. And it was a lot closer than his hearing had led him to believe – just at the edge of their campsite. He quickly dialed down his hearing a few notches, but left touch and sight high.

The wavering shape started to move away as he watched. It was slow, but deliberate. There was something there, something that knew he’d seen it.

“Jim,” he heard, barely, and he nodded as he brought his hearing back up a little to hear Blair. “Have you found them?” Another nod. “Do you want help?” Jim mentally rolled his eyes, unwilling to do so for real in case the shape moved suddenly. He wasn’t losing it. His partner, realizing the obviousness of the answer, went on. “Of course you want help, but you can’t tell me, or whoever it is will hear. Sorry. But I need a signal. To me it’s like you’re staring at nothing – I have no frame of reference here.” A pause, then, “It’s not another ghost, is it? Please don’t tell me the campsite we picked is haunted.”

After a moment’s thought, the Sentinel shook his head. Whatever this was, it had a heartbeat. Two, in fact. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but he was reasonably sure that whatever had invaded their camp was alive.

Blair watched Jim watch the empty space in front of him for long enough to get a general sense of the direction whatever was here was headed.

“Okay, so here’s my thought,” he started, voice still pitched for Sentinel hearing only. “I’ll pretend I don’t know where they’re going, which I do actually, based on where you’re staring. Just go about my business, then get a bedroll to throw over them. You say they aren’t ghosts, so this should at least show me where they are.”

He watched Jim think about that for a few seconds, then nod. Satisfied, he started puttering around the camp, trying to stay clear of the area Jim was watching, without really looking like he was avoiding it.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

The two now-invisible men stood stock still as the men entered the camp, waiting to move. While they could no longer be seen, they could be heard, and neither had any intention of revealing their presence.

The taller of the two men screamed military to Bobby, both in look and movement. He’d bet the guy had done some real time in some of the less civilized places in the world. He moved with the easy precision only someone who’d had serious field experience would have.

The shorter of the two men was so obviously not military Bobby almost laughed. And his focus was totally on Military Guy, as if he didn’t even care about what might be around him. That lack of attention was dangerous, but Bobby was glad to see it. At least only one of them was a potential threat to their escape. They definitely fit the description the Official had given them, though Bobby didn’t see anything special about them.

After a few moments, Bobby nudged Darien, letting him know that he was to take the lead. Bobby had been quicksilvered a few times, but he wasn’t as used to it as Fawkes. The strange metallic gray world they now inhabited was unsettling, and he hoped they could get to safety soon. Plus, despite what Darien had said earlier, Bobby didn’t think they had too much time. Something in the young man’s voice said he was closer to the madness than he wanted to admit. They had to get away, and visible, soon.

To top it off, Military Guy was looking right at them, which was just not possible. And he’d started nodding to himself, as if answering questions only he could hear. It was too weird, and Bobby had enough weirdness in his life already, thank you very much.

Bobby continued to encourage Darien to lead them out, knowing he’d find them the quickest, quietest route. He kept his eye on Military Guy, figuring he was the one to be worried about.

That turned out to be a mistake, and he only had himself to blame, as his focus just wasn’t what it should be when he was stuck in Quicksilver-land. Darien had been concentrating on getting them out quietly. When Bobby suddenly realized he only knew where one of the men was he tried to stop, but it was too late.

Bobby heard a noise from behind them just as Military Guy rushed toward them, and the world went black. He heard the tinkle of quicksilver shedding off them, and found both himself and Fawkes covered with a blanket. He fought his way out, only to find Military Guy holding a gun on them.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“Whoa! What the hell was that?” Blair exclaimed as the men suddenly appeared.

“Told you they were there,” Jim smirked. He didn’t have to look at Blair to know he was rolling his eyes.

“Well, duh, but how did they do it? And what are they doing in our camp?”

“Good questions, Chief.” He gave the two men a pointed look. “You two going to answer them?”

He was more than a little curious. They weren’t military, he was sure of that, though the shorter of the two could definitely have a military background. There was an edge to him, something in how he held himself, that screamed military to Jim.

The taller of the two was another story. From his unkempt hair to his t-shirt and jeans to his insolent look, the last thing this guy had was military discipline. If anything, he reminded Jim of a lot of the small-time criminals he’d dealt with before moving to Major Crimes.

But assumptions weren’t getting him any real answers. Whatever the two men were, they’d tracked him and Blair down, and had some way of becoming practically invisible. Jim kept giving them his best interrogation look, and Tall Guy seemed to want to say something, but held off at a gesture from Short Guy, who glared at Jim defiantly. “We don’t have to tell you anything.”

“True, but since I’m the one with the gun, and you’re the one who broke into our camp…”

Tall Guy laughed. “How do you break into a camp? Besides, I’m thinking us breaking a rule or two wouldn’t bother criminals.”

“Criminals?” Blair exclaimed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He looked at Jim, who nodded, before going on. “Jim’s a cop.” This seemed to genuinely surprise Tall Guy. His partner however, seemed unimpressed by this news. He crossed his arms over his chest and sized Jim up with a look.

“More than a cop, I’m betting. Moves you got pretty much scream military.”

Jim didn’t see any harm in answering. After all, odds were he already knew anyhow. “Ex-Ranger. You?”

“I’ve done my time. Look, if you’re really a cop, this is a misunderstanding.” That was a lie – his heart rate jumped. Interestingly, Tall Guy’s didn’t seem to; he was still hard to read for some reason. Still, everything Jim could detect said he believed what his partner was saying.

Short Guy reached slowly toward his pocket and Jim tensed, but nodded for him to go on. The man pulled out a badge, which Blair retrieved.

“Special Agent Robert Hobbes, Department of Fish and Game?” he read as he brought the badge to Jim.

“What, I don’t look like the outdoorsy type to you, Nature Boy?”

Tall Guy winced and stage-whispered, “Play nice, Hobbes. They’re the ones with the gun, remember?”

“Speaking of that, Chief, you want to relieve the agent of his weapons? Two guns, one in an ankle holster. Oh, and his cuffs.”

“What about this guy?” he asked as he stated collecting the weaponry Jim had listed.

Jim stared at him. There was still something off about him. That odd metallic scent surrounded him; it wasn’t anything he’d ever smelled before. Jim finally shook his head. “He isn’t armed.”

“How do you know all that?” Hobbes, asked, eying them even more suspiciously.

Jim just gave him a tight smile in reply.

“So you gonna try to convince me you’re a cop?” Hobbes asked Blair as he handed over his backup gun.

Blair raised an eyebrow. “You really shouldn’t judge books by their covers, man.”

“Yeah, Hobbes. I mean, look at me,” Hobbes’ partner chimed in, which made Hobbes tense up.

“So you’re an agent, too?” Blair asked mildly. He watched the two men have an entire conversation through a short series of glares and shrugs.

“Yeah, I’m Hobbes’ partner. Darien Fawkes. You want to see my ID?” He pulled it out and handed it to Blair. It looked like they both worked for Fish and Game.

Jim wasn’t surprised; strange or not, he was pretty sure Fawkes was telling the truth. Once Blair had moved away, Jim relaxed his stance a little. “Let me see those, Chief,” he said as Blair approached, and gave Blair a Look. Blair’s eyes widened and he grinned. “Gonna do some recon without them even knowing. Good,” he whispered. Jim flashed a grin and then got serious again. He moved the two of them away just far enough for Hobbes and Fawkes to feel like they could talk without being overheard.

It didn’t take long to work.

“Crap, Hobbes, what if these guys are on the up and up? We found the wrong camp – we need to just apologize and get out of here.”

Hobbes tone was skeptical. “I’m not so sure we did. How’d that guy know we were here?”

“He must have heard us.”

“He was looking right at us, Fawkes. Did you not notice that?” Hobbes let out a frustrated sigh. “But I do think they’re legit, cop-wise. Which of course nobody told us.”

“You didn’t seem too surprised,” Darien pointed out.

“Well no, but I’m trained to recognize that kind of thing.”

Darien rolled his eyes. “So what are we gonna do? We were just supposed to look around, not talk with them.”

“Too late to worry about that now, partner. Just follow my lead and don’t give anything away. I want to know just how he could see us, and Bobby Hobbes gets what he wants.”

Jim leaned in to speak. “Sounds like they were looking for us, but no one told them why, or that we’re cops.”

“Are they really agents?”

“The ID looks real enough. But there’s no way they’re with Fish and Game.”

Blair thought about that for a moment. “Do you think it’s the same thing as Brackett?”

“I hope to hell not, but right now I have no idea.” He sighed. “Sorry this vacation isn’t turning out like we planned.”

“Not your fault. Besides, if it was a normal, quiet vacation, it wouldn’t be us, right?”

Jim smiled at that, then refocused his attention on the two agents as he moved back toward them.

“This looks legit enough. Would either of you like to tell me what you were doing rifling through our camp?”

Fawkes answered as Hobbes glared at him. “It was a mistake. We’re looking for someone, thought this might be his camp. Which it obviously isn’t.” He paused, a questioning look on his face. “So you maybe want to introduce yourselves? You know who we are, seems only fair, seeing as we’re on the same side and all.”

“Jim Ellison, Cascade PD, Major Crimes. And my partner here is Blair Sandburg.”

Hobbes snorted. “You’re out of your jurisdiction, Ellison.”

“Not for a vacation.”

“You take your gun on vacation?” asked Fawkes.

Blair grinned. “Trust me, it’s just safer.”

“You mind giving us our stuff back now you know we’re the good guys?” asked Hobbes.

“Not until you tell me how you managed that invisibility trick. Just what kind of cover is Fish and Game?”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

Bobby had been waiting for the question. These two definitely fit the profile they’d been given, but Bobby still wasn’t sure what the Agency wanted with them. And since this was supposed to just be a recon mission, he figured he’d just have to wing it and hope, like always. Might was well start with the classic ‘offense is the best defense’ strategy.

“That, my friend, is classified,” he replied, studying Ellison’s face intently.

“What?” Ellison snapped at him.

Bobby cocked his head. “You wearing contacts?”

Whatever Ellison had thought he was going to say, that obviously wasn’t it.

“No. And why would you ask that?”

Bobby believed him, but that opened up a whole new can of worms. “Then how could you see us?”

“I didn’t – you two were making so much noise that a deaf man could find you.” The guy was good – no tells in either his expression or his voice. But Bobby was better.

“I don’t think so. You were lookin’ right at us. How?”

Ellison smirked. “It’s classified.”

Darien, obviously tired of the exchange, looked to Blair. “Your partner always like this?”

“Pretty much,” he replied with a shrug, moving closer. “Yours?”

Darien chuckled and moved just slightly away from Hobbes and Ellison. “Hasn’t even gotten warmed up. We could be here a long time.”

“Think you could convince your partner to lighten up on the secret agent thing and be straight with us? Jim’s going to know if he’s lying anyhow, and I don’t know about you, but I had plans for this weekend.”

“I hear that. But there really is stuff we can’t tell you.” Darien winced and rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.

“Fair enough,” Blair replied with a nod “As long as we get the same treatment, no questions that have to be answered.”

“No promises there, but I can try,” he said, wincing again and hanging his head.

“You need something for that headache? I have some great herbal stuff in the tent.”

Darien looked up with a rueful grin. “Thanks, but nothing you can do about it.”

Blair was about to argue the point when Jim chimed in. “You two done making a deal, Chief?”

“That depends,” he threw back. “Are you two done posturing?”

Ellison rolled his eyes at that, then turned to Hobbes. “You want to try this again?”

Fawkes moved to nudge Hobbes with his shoulder. “Come on, Hobbes. This is getting us nowhere.”

Hobbes glared at Ellison and Sandburg, then looked at his partner and saw the pain in his eyes. That decided him. “What the hell,” he said hiding his concern. “This is already handbasket city.”

“That’s the spirit, partner,” Fawkes said, clapping Hobbes on the back.

“So,” Jim began, “you two are agents. Is there an investigation we’re in the way of?”

“Nope. Just doing some fieldwork, came across your camp and figured we should look around.”

Darien sighed. Bobby wasn’t making this any easier, and he could tell he wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“I thought you were going to be straight with me,” Ellison said with a scowl.

“Who says I’m not?” Ellison just looked from him to Fawkes.

Bobby turned to Darien. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. It’s just… look Bobby. We’re agents. They’re cops. There’s nothing going on here to talk about, so can we just tell them that and get out of here, instead of the mysterious crap?” He reached back to rub his neck again, the movement revealing a red and green tattoo beneath his watchband.

“Cool tattoo, man – ouroborous, right?” Bobby glared at him, and Darien pulled his arm back, looking at Blair in surprise. “Yeah, but most people don’t know that.”

“Blair’s not most people,” Jim replied with a grin toward his partner.

Blair approached Darien. “Can I see it?” he asked, and after a moment’s hesitation and an exchange of looks, Darien held out his arm.

Blair whistled. “Nice work, but it must’ve hurt like a bear to have it put there.”

Darien shrugged. “I’ve felt worse.”

“Yea, but… whoa.” Blair stopped midsentence, and Darien looked down to see the next-to-last green segment change to red. He looked at Hobbes, panic in his eyes. “Oh, crap.”

That was all the warning they had before Darien collapsed to the ground, clutching the back of his head. Bobby dropped down beside him, taking one arm and checking the tattoo. Oh crap was right - Darien needed a shot, and he needed it now.

“Dammit!” he swore to himself, pounding a hand against the ground. “It’s back at the car.” He spoke louder, toward the two men watching. “Which one of you is faster?” he snapped.

Ellison moved forward, and Bobby would bet he didn’t mean to, but couldn’t help instinctively responding to the tone he’d used. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t have time to explain it.”

“Make time.” Jim’s voice was firm.

Hobbes hesitated, his thoughts in a whirl, torn between loyalty to the Agency and to his partner. A moan from Fawkes decided him.

“Has to do with why you couldn’t see us. I can’t give the details, and they don’t matter right now anyhow. He’s in pain, and things are only gonna get worse.” He looked up at Ellison. “You have to trust me on this.”

Jim stared at him a long moment, then nodded. “What do you need?”

He nearly slumped in relief. “My van is back that way,” he gestured a direction, “about two miles. There’s a case in the trunk. Silver, locked. Bring it back with you.” He pulled a keyring from his pocket and tossed it in Ellison’s direction, his focused gaze never leaving his fallen partner.

Sandburg put a hand on Ellison’s arm and pulled him aside. Bobby half-listened, but the bulk of his attention was on Darien.

“It’ll be okay, Jim. I can handle it from here. Go. It’ll be easy for you to find the van.”

“You okay with staying here?”

“Hey, you’re faster. Besides, I think I’ll be needed here.”

Jim hesitated. “I don’t like this…but you’re right. Whatever’s going on, it’s no trick. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He started down the path, and Bobby let himself relax just the tiniest bit.

“What can I do?” The kid’s voice was earnest, and Bobby was glad he’d been the one to stay behind.

Bobby wiped a quick hand across his face as he thought. “Rope. Some rope would be good.”

“O--kay. I can do that.” He rummaged around their gear for a minute and came back with several lengths. “Will this do?”

Bobby nodded, then quickly glanced around. “Fawkes, we need to move you. Can you help me here?”

The younger man uncurled slightly, looking at the older agent with pain-filled, increasingly bloodshot eyes. “I don’t think I can, Hobbes.” His voice was weak, and Bobby had to strain to hear him. “But I won’t fight you. Do what you have to do.”

Bobby’s eyes filled with sympathy. “We’ll be gentle as we can, partner.” He gestured to Blair, who had been holding back, waiting to see what was needed. “Toss that rope over by the tree, then help me move him.”

Blair gave him a confused look, but did as he was asked. It was awkward, as Darien was much taller than either of the men moving him, but they got him over to the tree Bobby had chosen. With a quiet, “Sorry,” he began tying him to the tree. At that, Blair stood back, alarmed.

“Whoa! What are you doing?”

“Trust me. This is for his own good. And ours.”

“I don’t get it, man. I thought he was your partner.”

“He is.”

“Then why this? He’s totally out of it, man. Couldn’t even get up. Why do this to him?”

“Because I don’t know how long it’ll take your friend to get back, and things could get a lot worse before they get better.” He checked the ropes, made sure the knots were tight, then sat back down next to Fawkes.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

Blair moved away from the two men, uncomfortable with the situation, and looked off in the direction Jim had gone. Wishing not for the first time for enhanced senses of his own, he stared off into the distance, vainly trying to see his lover. He wondered if Jim had found the car yet, if he was on his way back. Blair had no idea how long it had been, but his return couldn’t be soon enough.

He glanced back at the tree, and was surprised to see that Hobbes was leaning in close to Fawkes, one hand absently rubbing a shoulder, trying in a small way to ease his pain. Blair could see his lips moving, and wondered vaguely what words of comfort were being offered, and if the man tied to the tree could even hear them.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“God, Fawkes, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me you were so close? Maybe we could have found another way out of this.” The agent’s guilt was a living thing between them. Despite his pain, Darien found the strength to try to comfort his friend.

“Come on, Bobby. If we could, you wouldn’t have asked. And it’ll be okay. That Ellison guy will be back soon, you’ll give me the shot, and I’ll be fine. No problem.”

He tried his best to sound nonchalant about the whole thing, but knew Hobbes could see right through the act. He smiled briefly at that thought – see right through him. That’s what caused this is the first place. The smile quickly left his lips as pain tore all conscious thought from him. He bit back a cry and started to double over, but the ropes held him tight, and made reaching the back of his head impossible. No relief for him.

Then he stilled, despite the pain, as he felt Hobbes’ hand gently touch his neck, near the base of his skull. After a moment, the hand started to make small circles, soothing the tiniest bit of tension from his neck, giving him some relief. He wanted so badly to look at Bobby, see what he was thinking, but he couldn’t open his eyes. He didn’t want his partner to have to meet that crimson gaze.

As he tried to relax, he realized his partner was speaking, his voice soft, the tone gentle as the touch on the back of his neck. He was too far gone to make sense of the words, but the obvious emotion behind them was soothing. Then another wave of pain started to wash over Darien, and he did his best to move away, a difficult endeavor considering his confined state. He had enough presence of mind to growl out, “Get away,” before the world went black, then red.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

A quick movement caught his attention, and Blair turned back to see a very different scene. Darien was still tied to the tree, but the look of pain was gone from his face. Hobbes stood away from his friend, his face still showing concern, but none of the tenderness Blair had witnessed before. Wondering what could have caused such a change, and what the hell was going on in general, he started to move toward the two men.

“That’s close enough, Sandburg.” Hobbes’ voice stopped him a few feet back from where the balding man stood. He looked from Hobbes to Fawkes and involuntarily gasped at what he saw. The bound man’s eyes were completely red, and filled with malice; the look on his face was nearly inhuman. Blair had no trouble staying back; truth be told, he wanted to move farther away, but wasn’t sure that would be the best idea. As if sensing his confusion, the older man edged back toward him, his eyes never leaving his partner.

“What’s happened to him? Why is he like that? Is he sick?” The words were barely whispered, but Bobby heard them just fine.

“He isn’t sick. It’s a side effect of… just a side effect. He overdoes it, and he gets like this. The headaches are a warning sign.”

“And it has to do with why we couldn’t see you – like some kind of invisibility formula or something?” Hobbes didn’t answer, and Blair threw up his hands in frustration. “Okay, whatever, you can’t talk about it. But wait… is this anything like the Catevari project the government did in the 60’s?”

Hobbes looked at him in surprise. “You know about Catevari?”

“I did some research on government projects awhile back.” Blair replied carefully. “I remember reading about how the government worked to recreate the whole ‘human poison weapon’ thing the Romans tried. There were some promising results, then the whole thing shut down.”

“You have good sources,” he replied, his voice a combination of admiration and suspicion.

Sandburg shrugged. “Just good at research. It’s all out there if you know where to look.” He looked at Darien, concerned. “So he’s some kind of experiment. And what Jim has gone for will help him?”

“For now. The stuff just builds up in his system, and once it gets to a certain point – there you have it.”

Blair shook his head. “Man, that is so wrong. Why would anyone do that to another human being? And why would anyone volunteer?”

Hobbes sighed, shrugging as he answered. “Wasn’t supposed to be like this. The red-eye express was a side effect they didn’t know about until it was too late.”

“Not nice to talk about people like they aren’t there, Bobby.” Blair turned to see Fawkes smiling at them; there was such malevolence in his face, his tone. If Hobbes noticed it, it didn’t show.

“Didn’t realize it would bother you, Fawkes,” he replied. But while his voice was casual, his stance was anything but relaxed. Blair hadn’t thought the man could get any more tense; he’d been wrong. Bobby spared a split second to glance toward the path Jim had taken, then returned his unwavering gaze to his partner.

“I’m sure Jim’ll be back soon. He won’t have any trouble finding your van – I know it.”

In point of fact, Jim was on his way back. He’d kept an ear toward camp, listening in on the entire conversation. He didn’t like what he’d heard. He remembered the Catevari project – he and Blair had talked about it when Blair had first read the file Jack Kelso had lent them. It had been right after the Brackett case, and both men had wanted to know just how far the government might go to get their hands on Jim if they knew what he could do.

The only good thing they’d learned was that those types of projects were few and far between, most agencies preferring less “out there” theories to follow. But from the sound of it, they hadn’t stopped altogether. And that made Jim worry for them both. He was sure Hobbes and Fawkes finding them was no accident. He just needed to know exactly what they wanted.

He made his way back to camp as quickly as possible, mostly out of concern for Blair. He was sure his partner could hold his own under normal circumstances, but this wasn’t near normal, not even for them. Plus, Fawkes’ voice had been chillingly inhuman, totally at odds with how he’d been when Jim had left. Suddenly, he heard Blair’s heart-rate increase, and Jim picked up his pace. Something was happening.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“You know, Hobbes, if you wanted to try the bondage thing, all you had to do was ask.” Darien wriggled suggestively beneath the bonds.

“Very funny. You just hold on – Ellison’ll be back soon, you’ll get your shot, and everything will be fine.”

Darien glared. “What if I don’t want everything to be fine?” he countered. “What if I’m tired of fine? What if all I want is to be let go? Would you do that for me, buddy?”

Hobbes shook his head. “Can’t do it and you know it. You’re not in control right now, Fawkes. This is for your own good.”

“No!” he snarled. “It’s for _your_ own good. What’s good for me never even enters the picture, ever.” He quirked an eyebrow and looked down at the ropes binding him. “But maybe I can fix that. Not the strongest material, this rope. Wonder how the cold would affect it?” Quicksilver flowed, covering the bonds and Fawkes’ midsection, rendering both invisible. Sandburg gaped at the sight, and Hobbes moved closer.

“Ah ah ah, Robert. Best be careful with me. You might hurt the gland and then where would the Agency be?” He smiled maliciously. “Be seeing you,” he quipped as quicksilver covered him completely. There was a ripping sound, and the ropes became visible as quicksilver shed off. They’d been torn apart like paper.

Blair’s eyes widened and Hobbes started looking around, hoping to see a branch move, a footprint, anything to give him an indication of where his partner was.

“Jim, you need to get back here _now_ ,” Blair whispered, then gasped as something cold enveloped his wrist and spread over him. As it did, the world went metallic gray. Sandburg felt the hand cover his mouth and something sharp settle against his throat.

“No talking,” Darien whispered in his ear. “Don’t want to give Hobbesy here a chance to find us.” He moved his hand from Blair’s mouth to his arm and began moving back slowly, taking Blair with him toward the edge of camp. Blair let himself be pulled along, disoriented by the lack of color and weird glow tingeing everything. He watched Hobbes spin around in a futile attempt to spot them.

“Fawkes, you need to let Sandburg go. What do you need him for, anyhow? Who’s gonna find you when you’re doing the see-through act?”

“Good question,” he said softly into Blair’s ear. “Hobbes thinks your boyfriend has a way to track me, and while normally I’d say that was his paranoia talking, it would explain why the fat man sent us out here.” He moved the edge of the blade so it bit into Blair’s skin. “He right about Ellison?”

“We’re on vacation. It isn’t like I’m wired or anything.” Blair replied just as quietly.

“Not what I asked.” The grip on Blair’s arm tightened painfully. “Does. He. Have. Any. Way. To. Track. Me?”

Blair winced as he replied. “You leave a trail, then yeah. He’s an ex-Ranger, and he was good at what he did.”

“You’re hiding something, but I don’t have time right now to find out what. You’re my insurance, but you try anything to let Ellison know where we are and I’ll take my chances alone. Got that?”

“Got it.”

“Good. Now, you’re going to lead us to your car, nice and careful and quiet.”

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

Jim made his way as quickly and quietly as he could back toward camp. He’d heard everything, and as outrageous as it sounded, he believed every word. Now he was there, on the opposite side of where he knew Fawkes and Blair were, deliberately keeping his distance so as not to alert them he was back.

As soon as he heard them move far enough away to be out of earshot, he cautiously made himself known to Hobbes. As much as he wanted to get Blair back, Fawkes was too much of a wild card for Jim to go off on his own.

“Ellison!” Hobbes said with a frown. “We have a situation.”

“Your partner went crazy, kidnapped Blair and is on his way to my truck to escape, using Blair as insurance.” Jim replied as he held out the case. “Come on, we don’t have a lot of time. We parked closer than you did.”

Hobbes looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know they’re gone? For that matter, how do you know any of that?”

“You going to ask questions, or are we going to get our partners back?” Jim shot back.

Hobbes hesitated just a second, then nodded. “Oh I’m going to do both, my friend Once we have Fawkes and Sandburg back, you can bet I’m gonna want some answers.”

“They’re headed off in this direction,” Jim said and started moving, ignoring Hobbes’ attitude. “I can keep track of where they are, keep us under their radar. But I need to know how we stop Fawkes once we get there. He’s armed, I’m guessing with one of our knives, since he was clean before I left.”

“Damn!” Bobby swore. “That explains the ropes.”

Jim gestured toward the case Hobbes held. “Is it too late for that shot to work?”

Hobbes eyes narrowed, Jim was guessing because he’d let Hobbes know he knew what was in the obviously locked case. “It’ll help. We just need to get him subdued and this will fix him right up.”

They started into the woods, Jim keeping a fair distance from their quarry. “So does this invisibility give him any other abilities? Better hearing, extra strength, anything like that?” When Hobbes didn’t answer, he stopped and turned. “Look, I’m not just making conversation here. I need to know what I’m up against. It’s the best chance either of us have of getting our partners back safely.”

Hobbes motioned for them to start moving again. “He’s stronger right now, but that’s mostly because of the madness – he doesn’t notice pain, or else he likes it, I don’t know. His id is basically in charge right now.”

“Which is why he doesn’t want the shot. You have a Jekyll and Hyde for a partner, and Hyde’s running the show.”

Hobbes shrugged. “Whatever. I have a partner who needs help, that’s all I care about.”

Jim felt sympathy at Hobbes’ tone; he obviously cared about his partner. “This happen a lot?”

Hobbes just shrugged again. “Enough.”

Jim stopped and cocked his head, and Hobbes did the same. “What? I don’t hear anything.”

“They stopped.” He nodded, gazing into the distance. “Good for you, Chief.” He refocused and looked at Hobbes. “Blair slowed them down some, said he twisted his ankle. He’s giving us time to get there – they’re pretty close to the truck now.”

Hobbes just looked at him. “And you know this how, exactly?”

Jim decided to be straight with him. “I heard them.”

“You heard them.” He’d lowered his voice and ducked down. “Can they hear us? Are we that close?” Jim shook his head.

“They can’t see or hear us.”

“Then how can you hear them? You some kind of Superman or something?”

“Or something. Just trust me – I’ve been listening to them the entire time. And once we’re closer I’ll be able to find them, invisible or not.” He started moving again, more carefully as they got closer to their prey.

Hobbes pointed a finger at Jim’s back. “You _could_ see us.”

“In a way. And now that I know what to look for, it’ll be easier. But Fawkes doesn’t know that, which is to our advantage. We may actually be able to get the jump on him.”

“I _knew_ you were watching us. How do you do it?”

Jim slowed even more and motioned for Hobbes to quiet down. “Later,” he whispered. “We’re almost there. Blair’s given us enough extra time that we can go around them, get to the truck a different way.”

Hobbes nodded. “All right. But I’m getting that story once Fawkes is back to himself.”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

They were nearly there, and Blair had stalled as much as he safely could. Darien had shown very little patience with his stumbling, and Blair was pretty sure if he tried anything else to slow them down he’d get hurt.

He wished, as he often did, that being Jim’s Guide meant they had some kind of psychic connection, some way to communicate. He was sure Jim knew what had happened and was following them. He was also sure Jim would have a plan. But Jim had no way of letting him in on it, so all Blair could do was watch and hope he’d figure it out. Which really, really sucked.

The truck came into view at the edge of the clearing where they’d parked, and Blair was jerked to a stop. “Nice ride,” Darien said, voice dripping sarcasm.

“What do you care, as long as it runs, right?”

“Don’t suppose you have the keys on you?”

Blair shook his head. “Nope. Isn’t that just too bad?”

Darien chuckled. “Just makes it a little more challenging is all. But what to do with you while I get her started?”

“How about you let him go?” Jim said, stepping out from behind the truck. Hobbes moved to the other side, case in hand, using the bed of the truck as partial cover.

Blair started to say something, but felt the knife press against his throat again. The fact that Jim and Hobbes were there had to be freaking Darien out at least a little, so Blair decided to take it a step further. He raised his free hand and waved at Jim. Darien snorted quietly at the move, then stilled completely as Jim responded, looking right at them.

“Hey, Chief,” he said with a nod right at Blair. “Fawkes, you might as well give up, drop the knife and let go of my partner. This is over. Now.”

“You’re bluffing. There’s no way you can know where we are – lucky guess as to where we’d go is all.” But Darien’s voice held doubt, and when he moved a few steps away from where they’d last been he stumbled a little. Jim watched them move, making it as obvious as he could that he was visually tracking them.

“He’s not kidding, Fawkes,” Hobbes chimed in. “He’s been tracking you the whole time. Why else do you think the Official wanted him?”

Jim moved incrementally closer as Hobbes kept Darien’s attention. Blair focused on that, and waited for the right moment to move. He didn’t have to wait long; Darien’s grip loosened just a bit, but it was enough. He reached up and pulled the hand holding the knife away from his neck. “Now, Jim!” he shouted, shifting and twisting to drop out of his captor’s grasp. Jim rushed forward as Blair managed to roll to the side, and as he did the quicksilver shed from his body.

Blair squinted as the world suddenly snapped into sudden color, but kept moving, trying to give Jim space to maneuver. Darien snarled and started to run, but Jim tackled him before he could get anywhere. There was a brief scuffle, and a knife suddenly became visible as it was flung from Fawkes’ grasp. Blair darted in just long enough to retrieve it.

“I’ve got him, Hobbes! Can you give him the shot while he’s still invisible?”

Hobbes ran over and knelt to open the case. “You just hold him down. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“You need any help?” Blair asked, moving closer.

Jim grunted as Darien fought him. “Wouldn’t mind another pair of hands here, Chief.” He spared a quick glance at Blair and grinned. “Good to see you again.”

Blair grinned back. “Good to be seen. That was _intensely_ strange.”

It took both men to hold him down. “Dammit, Fawkes!” Hobbes snapped in frustration. “You’re caught. It’s done. Quit with the see-through thing so I can give you the shot.”

“Switch with me, Hobbes,” Jim offered, when it became clear that Fawkes had no intention of making their task any easier. “I can find the vein whether he’s visible or not.”

Hobbes dubiously laid the needle back in its case and out of harm’s way as he went to change places with Jim. “Shot’s ready when you are, Ellison. You sure you can do it? You screw up, and it’s gonna be a nasty ride back to the Agency for me.”

“He can do it. Trust me.” Blair responded, and Jim had to chuckle at the look Hobbes gave him in response.

“Still the two scariest words in the English language, Chief.”

Jim retrieved the hypo, and waited until things looked settled, ignoring the steady stream of threats and curses Fawkes was spouting. He moved closer at a nod from Hobbes, and with his free hand felt for the vein, dialing up touch and piggybacking it with sight to find the right spot. It was, as Blair had so aptly put it, intensely strange, almost like wearing cold-sensing goggles with Fawkes as an area where the temperature had dropped.

“Tighten your grip on his arm, Hobbes. The cold’s making the veins constrict, and like you said, I don’t want to miss.”

Hobbes did, and Jim felt again, running his finger along the cold flesh of Fawkes’ inner arm. “Your boyfriend’s going to be jealous if you keep that up,” Fawkes taunted. “Or maybe that’s part of your kink? You like to watch, Blair?”

Both men ignored him, and Jim smiled grimly as he found the vein. “Here goes nothing,” he said, and plunged the needle into Fawkes’ arm.

The three men waited, tense, for something to happen.

“This it taking too long. You missed, Ellison!” Hobbes accused, then felt Darien relax in his grip, and there was a tinkling sound as he once again became visible. Blair started to move, but Hobbes stopped him with a glare.

“Not yet, Sandburg. I’m not convinced it worked.”

“It worked, Bobby,” Darien said weakly, and opened his eyes to look at the three men. At the obvious lack of red-eye, Hobbes smiled and let his partner go. “Had me worried there for a minute, Fawkes.”

Jim and Blair took Hobbes’ cue and released Fawkes, Blair extending a hand to help him sit up.

“You and me both, buddy,” he said with a rueful smile. “Sorry about the snatch and grab, Blair.”

“I’ve had worse,” Blair replied with a grin. “You’re okay now, though, right?”

Darien held up his arm and showed a now entirely green snake tattoo. “Back to capacity. And since there’s no more reason for me to go invisible, I should be fine for awhile.”

“Then why don’t the two of you come back to our camp?” Jim said as he stood and brushed dirt from his jeans and t-shirt. “It looks like we all have some explaining to do.”

Jim and Blair led the way back to camp, all four men relatively quiet as they walked. Blair nudged Jim with his shoulder and gave him a knowing look when he caught Jim doing what he called the “Sentinel Scan” to make sure his Guide was okay. Jim shrugged but made no excuses; he’d been worried, and while Blair obviously hadn’t been injured, it made him feel better to check.

They detoured slightly to pick up their fishing supplies. “Still okay to eat,” Jim declared. “And there’s plenty for four, if you want to eat while we talk.”

Fawkes looked at Hobbes, who nodded. “Sounds good to me,” Fawkes said. “The whole… thing back there kind of took it out of me.”

“You any good at cleaning fish, Darien?” Fawkes shook his head at Blair’s question, and he’d resigned himself to clean-up duty alone when Hobbes held out a hand. “I can help. Only fair.”

Blair smiled and gestured for Hobbes to follow him. “There’s a stream this way that we’ve been using. Thanks for the help.”

Jim watched the two of them walk off, then nodded for Darien to follow him the short distance back to the campsite. Once there, Jim started to clean up, and Fawkes sat down, clearly worn out from the day’s events.

“So we should probably wait for them to get back before getting into any of this.” Fawkes started.

“Probably. Blair will have a thousand questions.”

Fawkes chuckled. “So will Hobbes.” He paused, as if deciding something. “You know what? I don’t want to wait. I _really_ want to know how you could see me.”

“I couldn’t, exactly.” Fawkes just looked at him. “It’s true. It’s more like I could feel you than see you. You give off cold when you’re invisible, and I worked with that.”

“Okay, maybe I can buy that when you were close by, but Hobbes said you were tracking us the whole time. That was a bluff?”

“No. I had a pretty good idea of where you were headed, so finding you was easy enough. But I was also listening in.”

“How? There some new tech you have that we don’t know about?”

Jim paused and looked at Darien, his expression serious. “Before I tell you, let me ask you something. Why were you looking for us?”

“I’m not sure, and that’s the truth. We’re only told what we need to know, and they _never_ think we need to know anything. Especially me. But if you have some way of following an invisible man, I’m sure that would make them sit up and take notice.” He paused. “What I don’t get is why two cops would have anything like that.”

Jim stood there for a minute, weighing his answer. “It isn’t tech,” he answered. “It’s me. My senses are enhanced to the point where I could almost see you, and could definitely find you.”

Fawkes stood up at that. “Enhanced? Like, surgically enhanced? Are you another of the Agency’s experiments?”

Now _that_ was an interesting fact to file away. Jim shook his head. “I was born with them.” Fawkes slumped a bit at that, confusing Jim. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, it’s just… I thought you were like me, is all.”

“Well, I am, in a way.” Fawkes looked skeptical at that. “No, really. I’ve had the senses all my life, but I suppressed them – long story – until a few years ago, and when they came online it wasn’t pretty. And they’re still hard to control sometimes. I’m betting one of my backlash headaches could give yours a run for its money. Plus,” he went on, “I can’t really use them so anyone would notice.”

“No, I guess you can’t, or else you’d end up a lab rat like me, stuck doing the government’s bidding.” He gave Jim an appraising look. “So you can’t tell anybody about what you can do?”

“There are a few people who know, but that’s it. I didn’t ask for this, but with Blair’s help, I’ve learned to deal with it. And they do come in handy at times.”

“Blair helps?”

“Yeah. He’s pretty much kept me sane through all this, figured out ways to help me control the senses so they don’t control me, tested my ranges… I bitch about it a lot, but without him I’d probably be in a padded cell by now.”

“Then maybe you’re right, and we’re more alike than I thought.” He looked down and scuffed a rock around a little. “I have a gland in my head that secretes this stuff called quicksilver. It bends light so anything it covers becomes invisible, which is usually me.”

“And overusing it causes the attacks.”

“Yeah, pretty much puts my id in control. The shot you gave me is the temporary fix they have, but I have to be careful.” He looked at Jim and shrugged. “Too much counter-agent and I build up an immunity, which would mean the quicksilver madness would become permanent.”

“If it’s such a rough deal, why don’t they just take it out?”

“It’ll kill me if they do. The only guy who knew how was killed, so I’m stuck with it until they figure it out, or it kills me. Or I go crazy and someone has to take me out.”

“But you still do it – go invisible,” Jim pointed out.

“Not much choice sometimes. I have to earn my keep,” he went on bitterly, “or no more shots.”

Jim had no answer to that. Fawkes was in a tough place. At least he wasn’t damaged every time he used his senses. And he had the choice as to how and when to use them.

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

Meanwhile, Hobbes and Sandburg were finishing up at the stream. “So that was pretty good work there, getting away from Fawkes.”

Blair shrugged noncommittally. “Thanks. Being partnered with Jim, I’ve had practice getting out of tough situations.” He looked up and grinned. “But this was definitely one of the more unique ones.”

Hobbes just nodded at that but didn’t seem willing to say more, even though Blair knew he had to have a million questions. _He_ did. “You did a great job with Darien, too. It’s hard, having a partner like that.”

Blair realized he’d said the wrong thing when he saw Hobbes stiffen up. “Like what? What do you know about it, huh? Don’t you go judging Fawkes or me based on how your buddy and you are. You got no right.”

He started to move away, and Blair held up his hands. “Hey, sorry, back down, man. I wasn’t judging. And you’re right – our situations are different. But they’re kind of the same too, you know?” Hobbes had stopped, and was watching him. “I may be smart, but I’m just a normal guy, and I’m betting you are too. But Darien and Jim… they’re special. They can do these amazing things we’ll never be able to do. And they both have drawbacks that hurt them, and we can’t fix it. I don’t know about you, but that’s the hardest part for me. I can try to help, but I can only do so much.”

Hobbes regarded him silently, then went back to gathering the cleaning tools. “Yeah, well, we’re there for them. And they know it. Gotta count for something.”

“It does,” Blair agreed, relieved. “I’m not saying it doesn’t. All I was trying to say was I get it. It’s hard, what we do. And we may have just met, but I think you’re doing a great job with him. For what it’s worth.”

Hobbes smiled at that briefly. “Well, for what it’s worth, you and Ellison seem to make a pretty good team too.”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

Jim looked up from tending the fire and smiled. “Sounds like Sandburg and Hobbes have bonded.”

Darien grinned in disbelief at that. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Hobbes is the hardest man to bond with on the face of the planet.”

Jim shrugged. “Seems they have something in common,” he said, pointing at the two of them. “Freak partners. Not that either of them said that. But -”

“But we aren’t the most normal guys to work with. Yeah, I guess that is something they have in common.” He frowned. “I never thought about how hard it must be for Bobby, no one to really talk to about this. Not that he’s the most open guy, you understand.”

“There’s no one where you work for him to talk to?”

“Yes and no. He can talk, but the concept of privacy is one the Agency hasn’t quite got the grasp of. It’s pretty safe to assume that anything that gets said ends up being reported. What about you – they know about you at your department?”

“I’m kind of an open secret. Some of the detectives in Major Crimes figured it out, and my Captain I’ve out-and-out told, but that’s it.” He stirred the logs with a branch. “It’s tough. We can’t really let people know, or I lose the advantage. And open the Department up to all sorts of inquiries. Nothing I find using the senses is admissible,” he explained at Fawkes’ questioning look. “And proving that I have them so they could be used in testimony opens up all sorts of attention I don’t want.”

“So Blair’s in the same boat as Bobby, basically. And as long as you’re careful, you get to keep your life as it is.”

“We both do. Blair may downplay it, but his research would make him just as interesting as my abilities.” He looked toward the stream. “They’re on their way back.”

It took a minute, but then Darien could hear them too. He shook his head and whistled softly; yeah, no doubt at all why the Official was interested in them. Ellison was an untraceable bug – he’d make an amazing agent, Darien had no doubt. Hell, the two of them would make a nearly unstoppable team, with Ellison scoping things out from a distance before Darien even had to step in. Might make his job easier. Or it might push them to use Darien up sooner, overuse him until he was permanently mad.

But in either case, it didn’t matter. Ellison didn’t want that life, or he’d have gone for it, Darien was sure, and he couldn’t justify bringing someone else into the glorified prison that was life with the Agency. He traced a pattern in the dirt, thinking about what they were _supposed_ to do versus what they _should_ do, and wondered whether it would be possible to convince Hobbes to let this go, just this once.

Dinner was quickly fixed and even more quickly eaten, with the four men making mostly small talk. Darien was quiet, listening but not really joining in the conversation. Every so often a question about Jim or Darien’s abilities would come up, but neither side was overly willing to share any more than they already had. While they’d definitely achieved a truce, it wasn’t a particularly easy one. Then Hobbes and Jim got on the subject of the military and began trading stories, quickly getting too detail-oriented to hold Blair or Darien’s interest. Blair grinned and rolled his eyes at them, and Darien grinned back, then bent to pick up plates to wash.

“So you’re kind of like Ellison’s keeper,” Darien started as they walked toward the stream. “Make him jump through hoops, do tests, that kind of thing.”

“You make it sound so cold,” he replied, trying not to get defensive. “It isn’t like that at all. The only way to help Jim gain control of his senses was to find out their limits, see what he had to work with. I didn’t do it for fun.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to set you off. I guess I just see things more from the view of the subject.”

Blair nodded. “Yeah, I hear that. But Jim’s my partner, first and foremost.”

“And you just want to protect him.” Darien sighed. “You know we were sent here to find out about you guys, right?”

“I figured as much. But I’m thinking you didn’t know just what you were getting into.”

Fawkes laughed. “You can say that again. We weren’t even supposed to make contact. And Hobbes would have my head if he knew we were talking about it at all.”

Blair stopped at that, turning a focused look on Darien. “Then why are you?”

“Because you two seem like good guys. You’re already doing good work. And because I have no desire to put anyone else in the position I’m in.” Darien sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Your partner and I talked a lot earlier, and I did some thinking. He and I would be great together – I can see why the Agency wants him. But I don’t much care about what they want, so here’s how I see it. You two have a life. We shouldn’t take it. And we won’t if I have anything to say about it.”

Blair watched him seriously, then nodded. “Thanks. Your partner going to feel the same?”

Darien looked back toward camp. “I have no idea. He knows how hard all this is for me, but he’s real gung-ho about following orders, y’know?” He looked down and sighed deeply. “I’ll do my best to convince him to tell the fat man this was a bust. He might just go for it – you guys helping me out will definitely hold some sway with him.”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“So, you have the training, you have all this stuff you can do – why aren’t you working for the government?”

“I did my stint, and nearly got killed because of a corrupt colonel.” Jim shrugged. “What I do now is just as important as anything the military would want me to do.”

“You could do even more important work at a place like the Agency, my friend.”

“Like Fawkes?”

“Exactly like Fawkes.” Hobbes agreed. “He was a punk thief before, now he’s doing good work, keeping our country safe.”

“But is it because he wants to or because he has to?” Jim countered. “I heard you and Sandburg talking earlier, and I saw what doing his job did to him. Doesn’t sound all that appealing, working for your agency.”

Hobbes waved that off. “You just don’t see the potential. Think about it. Guy like you, doing all the recon without even getting near a place. Then Fawkes doing his thing, sliding in and out easy as pie, with no one the wiser. It’d make his job safer, easier.”

Jim gave him a long look. “You saying you want me to go with you, partner with him. Where does that leave you?”

Hobbes shrugged, looking down. “Where it leaves me isn’t important.”

“I doubt he’d agree. Doesn’t matter in any case. I’m not going anywhere but back home with Blair. I have a job, and a life, and I don’t plan on doing anything to change how things are.”

“What if you don’t get a choice?”

Jim puffed up at that. “You threatening me?”

“Just stating a fact,” Hobbes replied. “The Agency knows about you, Ellison.”

“ _Thinks_ they know. You weren’t supposed to do more than watch us. Find out if we were worth their time.”

“You don’t know that.”

Jim gave him a tight smile. “Fawkes does. And he told Blair, so yeah, I _do_ know.”

Bobby looked toward the stream and swore under his breath. “Kid doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.”

“He might surprise you.” Hobbes turned a sharp look on him, and Jim took a deep breath. “Look, I do understand what you’re saying, believe me. I’ve done the covert ops thing, but it isn’t how I work any more. I have no desire to go back to that.” His gaze sharpened, and his voice turned cold. “And I’ll do whatever I have to to ensure that.”

“You threatening me now, Ellison?”

Jim gave him a bland look. “Just stating a fact.” He nodded toward the path. “They’re coming back. What happens now?”

“Now? Now we finish up and head back, leave you two to your vacation.”

Jim was about to respond when Blair and Fawkes made their way into sight, laughing. One look at Jim and Hobbes had each man rolling their eyes and heading toward their respective partner.

“At least your guns aren’t drawn,” Blair muttered in disgust. “What is it with you two – we weren’t gone long enough for this kind of tension.”

Darien said about the same to Hobbes. “C’mon, talk to me – what’s going on?”

“Nothing I want to talk about _right now_ , Fawkes,” Bobby replied. “Maybe later, when we’re on our way back.”

Darien wanted to say more, but knew that once Hobbes used that tone he was set. Still, he had time to try and convince Hobbes; he only hoped he could.

Darien turned to Jim and Blair. “Listen, we’re gonna head out, leave you guys to your camping. But I just want to thank you again for getting the shot to Hobbes, and for making sure I got it. I owe you, big. And I’ll do my best to pay you back, any way I can.”

Jim held out a hand, which Darien shook. “Just forget you ever saw us, and I’ll consider us more than even.”

Darien shot a look at Hobbes, but his blank look wasn’t giving away a thing. “I’ll do my best. Good to meet you, too, Blair,” he said with a nod.

“You too. Sorry the circumstances weren’t better.”

Darien winced. “Yeah, I’m really, really sorry about that whole dragging you through the forest thing.”

“I’ve had worse,” Blair replied with a shrug. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I kind of hope we never see you again.” He rolled his eyes as he realized what he’d said. “Okay, never hear from you, I guess.”

“I get it. I kind of hope the same thing.”

Hobbes nodded at Jim and Blair. “I don’t have to tell you two that anything you saw or heard here is confidential.”

“Think we could get the same courtesy?” Blair asked.

Hobbes ignored him. “Thank you for your help, and the food. We really need to head back now.”

Jim nodded at each man in acknowledgement. “Hobbes, Fawkes. I can’t exactly say I’m glad to have met you, but it certainly has been interesting.”

Darien nodded in acknowledgement, and the two men left the camp. He tried to start a conversation with Hobbes, but his partner was tight-lipped until they were in the van and well away from the camping area.

“About the job, Hobbes,” Darien started. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t think we should tell the Official about any of this.”

Hobbes didn’t seem surprised. “How we gonna explain having to use the counteragent?”

“We’ll think of something. It’s just – I had my life, my choices, taken away by the Agency. I don’t want to do that to anyone else. It isn’t right.”

Hobbes shook his head. “It isn’t up to us to decide that, Fawkes.”

“Well, it _should_ be,” Darien countered. “You and I know better than anyone else what things would be like if the Agency knew about what Ellison can do.”

“He’d be a major asset.”

“Maybe. But at what cost? And no, it isn’t just him I’m thinking about.”

“What, your new buddy convince you it’d be wrong?”

Darien rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about you and me, Bobby. I may not be as good at the spy thing as you, but I’m not stupid. I can see where this would lead – they’d split us up. And that isn’t acceptable.” The force of his tone visibly startled Hobbes. “I mean it. We’re partners. More than that – we’re friends. I trust you with my life, Bobby. Not the Official, not the Keeper, just _you_. And I don’t want to keep working there if it means having another partner.”

Hobbes was quiet for a long moment. “That means a lot to me, Darien. I mean it.” He looked intently at Darien. “But I can’t just turn my back on my job. It’s not who I am.”

“He saved my life, Bobby. Or at least my sanity. You know that. Isn’t that worth a little white lie?”

Bobby ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Please, Bobby. Just this once, let it go.”

 

QSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQS

 

“What do you think is going to happen?” Blair asked.

Jim shook his head. “No idea, Chief. Fawkes said he’d try to convince Hobbes to lie about us. I believe him, but that’s about all I’m sure of in this.”

“What if Fawkes can’t convince him?”

Jim put an arm around Blair and pulled him close. “Then all those plans I put in place that you thought were ‘paranoid overkill’ will come in handy after all.”

Blair rested his head against Jim’s chest and sighed. “So much for a quiet vacation.”


End file.
